Sanitary seat-cover for railway-coaches.



G. L. DREHER.

SANITARY SEAT COVER FOR RAILWAY COACHES. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, 1912.

1,05 1,566. Patented Jan.28, 1913.

CHARLES 'L. DREHER, OF SOUTH NORWALK, CONNECTICUT.

SANITARY SEAT-COVER FOR RAILWAY-COACHES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 28, 1913;

Application filed June 10, 1912. Serial No. 702,868.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES L. DREHER, a citizen of the United States, residin at South Norwalk, in the county of Fair eld and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and-useful Im rovernent inSanitary Seat-Covers for Rai way-Coaches; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accom anying drawi ings and the characters of re erence marked 1 thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute paitof this application, and represent, i n

Figure 1 a perspective view of a car-seat= provided with a sanitary seat-cover con-' structed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 a view in broken vertical section; showing the modeof attaching the upper end of the flexible cover to a seat. Fig. 3

a plan view of my improved cover in the-1 form in which it is offered for sale, its

central portion being broken away. Fig. 4' a view of the cover in transverse section on they line a-Z) of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 a detachedj plan view of the retaining-rod with its vrailway coaches, the object being to provide a simple, convenient and effective cover constructed with particular reference to being supplied to the trade at a trifling cost, and to being rolled into compact form in which it may be sold in an automatic vending machine, if desired, and in which it may be readily carried by a traveler in his hand or grip.

\Vith these ends in view my invention consists in a sanitary seat-cover having certain details of construction and combinations of parts as will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In carrying out my invention as herein shown, I employ a cover retaining-rod 2 made of heavy wire, having a straight central or body-portion and formed at its.

ends with tapering retaining-fingers 3 corresponding to each other in length and by preference tapered by flattening them in the same plane as shown in Fig. 5. The rod 2 may be varied in length as desired, but ordinarily it will substantially correspond to the width of half the back 4 of an ordinary car-seat 5. The upper end of a long sheet of tough paper 6 forming the temporary seat-cover is folded over the rod 2 and secured thereto by clips 7 or in any other convenient and effective manner. If desired, a thin, light, cheap, woven fabric might be used in place of paper for the temporary seat-cover 6. The cover 6 is made long enough to entirely cover half of the width of the back 4 and seat-cushion 8 of an ordinary car'seat, and to provide for tucking a portion of the sheet between the lower edge of the back 4 and the rear edge of the seat-cushion The opposite edges of the upper end of the cover strip 6 are'corres'pondingly cut away to form large clearance-notches 9, whereby the upper end of the strip is reduced in width to permit the employment of a retaining-rod 2 of less length than the full width of the strip which permits two seat-covers to be employed at the same time upon the same car-seat without any interference of their upper ends with each other, and also permits their adjacent inner edges to be overlapped if desired.

- The narrowing of the upper end of the strip 6 also permits the tapering fingers 3 of the rod 2 to be entered into the outer coils of the strip 6 when the same is rolled up as shown in Fig. 4 so as to avoid the necessity of using any other means than the said fingers; for maintainin the strip in the form of a roll in which it may be con- 'veniently vended and carried. As shown in Fig. 6, the edges of the strip are folded inward throughout its length to form flaps 10 which increase the available width of the strip when in use, but permit the length of the roll when the device is not in use, to be kept within convenient limits.

My improved sanitary-seat cover is supplied to the trade in the form of a roll as shown in Fig. 3. In using it, it is unrolled and the tapering fingers 3 of its rod 2 are thrust from rear to front under the cleat 11 extending along the upper edge .of the car-seat 4, ordinary car-seats being provided with such cleats not only as a matter of finish for the seats, but also for convenience inholding the tickets of passengers. The strip 6 is then unrolled and carried down over the front of the back 4 and tucked from front to rear between the lower end of the back 4 and the rear edge of the seatcushion 8. The strip is then carried forward overthe seat-cushion 8 and allowed to hang down in front of the same.

As the paper employed will be tough in its character, my improved seat-cover may be used again and again, if desired, but it is. intended to supply it at such alow cost to the traveler that he will leave it on the seat on leaving the car, after it has served to protect his garments from the dirt and dust which are apt to cover the plush of car seats. My improved sanitary seat-cover will also effectively protect the traveler against possible infection from germs lodged in the heavy plush coverings of car-seats.

I claim 1. As a new article of manufacture, a sanitary seat-cover consisting of a strip of flexible material adapted to be formed into a roll when not in use and provided at the respective corners of its upperv or outer end with .wedge-like retaining-fingers adapted in thickness to be inserted between the upper edge of the back of a car-seat, and a cleat ap lied thereto, whereby the said retamingcleat of a car-seat for securing a sanitary seat-cover thereon,

2. As a new artlcle of manufacture, a-

sanitary seat-cover consistin of a strip of flexible material adapted to e formed into a roll when not in use and provided at its upper end with a retaining-rod made of gers may be thrust under thewire and consisting of a straight central portion substantially corresponding in length to the width of the upper end of the said strip which is attached to it and formed at its ends withtapering fingers adapted to be inserted into the upper edge of the back of a car-seat, the upper end of the strip being cut away at its opposite edges to form clearance-notches to permit the insertion of the ends of the said fingers into the outer coilsof the strip to retain the same in the form of a roll.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a sanitary seat cover consisting of a strip of flexible material adapted to be formed into a roll when not in use, and provided at its upper end with a retaining-"rod made of wire and consisting of a straight centralportion conforming in length to the width of the upper end of the strip which is attaclied to it and formed at its ends with tapering fingers adapted to be inserted-into the upper edge of the back of a car-seat, the

opposite edges of the upper end of the said strip being cut away to form clearancenotches, and the opposite edges of the strip formed with flaps folded inward when the strip is rolled.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

y CHARLES L. DREHERL Witnesses:

' S. TATE,

.A. H. BENGER. 

